Stop 11: Glebe Place Artist’s Studios - Daydreaming on the King’s Road

If you walk down the King's Road past Glebe Place it’s easy to see yet another Chelsea Street. Look closer to the east and walk south towards the river to discover a concentration of artist’s studios built during the mid 19th century. During the Victorian period Chelsea became known as the art centre of London. Previous painters had moved here to paint the river and the Victorian interest in commodities including art ownership had led to a rise in professionalism amongst artists who could afford to build their own studios in Chelsea at a reasonable cost. Chelsea became an enclave for artists who enjoyed the studios and their north-facing windows, providing pure, constant light and high ceilings to accommodate large easels and paintings. To the east of Glebe Place is a series of studios called ‘Turners Studios’ where JMW Turner, one of the earlier artist residents, is said to have worked. Other notable inhabitants of Glebe Place include Augustus John, Winnifed Nicholson and Francis Bacon. Some of the artist’s studios were built by leading architects of the era, including West House, 35 Glebe Place, designed by the arts and crafts architect Philip Webb (this also features in the 1980s film Withnail and I) and Studio House, 49 Glebe Place, designed by Charles Rennie Macintosh who had his own garden studio at 43a Glebe Place. It’s also impossible not to notice 50 Glebe Place, which was built in the 1980s for the advertising executive, Frank Lowe.